Changing It Up A Notch
by Noddybobble
Summary: I don't own 'Devil Wears Prada' in any way and do not make any money from these stories. It's been a year since Andy left and she is still on Miranda's mind and Miranda still has to put up with the same old gossip on page six about herself, quite frankly the woman is bored and it is time for some things to change.
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't fair, in fact it was downright shitty. A woman of her stature having to put up with all this improper gossip and speculation about her life. "So I take a man with me to a social function, that doesn't mean I am going to marry him, it is all ridiculous" thought Miranda. Page six was really getting on her nerves, it didn't help that the name of the gossip rag was the same as Nigel had given "that girl".

Sitting at her beautiful glass desk in her beautiful office that almost touched the clouds Miranda Priestly suddenly got a wicked gleam in her eyes. It had been a six months since her divorce from Stephen had been finalised and just over a year since that girl had walked out on her in Paris. Having just returned from this years Paris fashion week that had been almost competently handled by Emily, Miranda was ready to change things up a notch.

"Emily" Miranda whispered. The Brit all but flew in to her office. "yes Miranda".

"You will start as a junior in the art department from tomorrow, Nigel is expecting you. Tell Harriet she has just been promoted to first Assistant and tell here to replace herself. That's all" with a wave of her hands Miranda sent a smiling Emily from her office.

One week later Miranda was sitting in the boardroom during the Board of Directors meeting explaining her budget yet again to Irv who kept trying to trip her up in front of the Board. As always Miranda held he own, but this time she had a trick up her sleeve. Smiling at the end of her defence she got up as she thanked the Board for their time and that is when Stuart Bannecroft asked Miranda to stay. Irv looked puzzzled and Miranda simply nodded and retook her seat. Stuart stood and began a 'no confidence' motion against Irving Ravitz.

One hour later when the evidence of Irv and his misconducts had been bourne out and each member had voted against him he was escorted out of the building by security. Stuart Bannecroft was voted in as the new Chairman of Elias and Clarke, his first order of business was to propose Miranda Priestly to become a new member of the Board for Art and Innovation. There was an immediate seconder and Miranda accepted the appointment subject to the entire Boards approval. A vote was immediately called and the Miranda was welcomed on to the Board of Directors.

It was a wonderful day for Miranda and she couldn't wait to get home and tell... Miranda paused by the lifts, she had no one to tell, _no wait, I have my girls, I'll go home on time and we can celebrate with a pizza and popcorn in front of a movie._

As Miranda returned to her office on the 21st floor, she rattled off a list of instructions to Harriet the last of which was to have Nigel pop in to her office. Then she turned to the new hapless second Assistant and spoke curtly "coffee".

Within two minutes Nigel was standing in front of Miranda's desk. "Good afternoon Miranda, you requested my presence?"

"Yes Nigel my dear friend, sit, sit" Miranda gestured to a chair in front of her desk. As Nigel sat Miranda stood and walked round the desk and sat next to Nigel in the other chair in front of her desk. Nigel looked at Miranda expectantly.

"Nigel, I know you have been waiting for me to pay you back since Paris last year and you have been very patient. I am pleased to be able to tell you that from 2pm this afternoon I'm was appointed to the Board of Directorsof Elias and Clark as Director of Art and Innovation. Which means you, should you wish to accept, will be the new Editor In Chief of Runway. Oh and Nigel.."

Nigel looked at Miranda speechless.

"if you are going to take on this position you will need to breathe" smiling gently and taking Nigel's hand "breathe Nigel, breathe."

A giggle bubbled up in Nigel and he lept to his feet and pulled Miranda up with him and gave her a big hug. "Thank you Miranda, thank you."

"Yes well don't make me regret it" she said moving back to the other side of her desk with thin lips and a twinkle in her eyes "of course I wont be to be too far away and shall be keeping an eye on my beloved magazine to ensure you settle in ok."

"Yes Miranda" Nigel smiled "and yes Miranda! Yes please I accept the position."

"Well off you go and tell your team and you will need to think on who will be replacing you. There will be a press release today of the changes to the Board and a further press release about your new position tomorrow, oh and Nigel you start Monday. That's all." With a huge uncharacteristic grin on her face Miranda turned her chair to look out the window as Nigel all but dance out of her office.


	2. Chapter 2

As Miranda Priestly strode through the lobby of Elias and Clarke that Monday morning she smiled, not a huge grin, just a small quirk of the mouth but nevertheless it was a smile and people noticed. Instead or runnng out of her way like scared rabbits they gave way to her gracefully, returned her smile and bid her good morning.

As she neared the elevators, the first on the right, her personal favourite, the doors opened and to her delight before her the lift was empty. The ride up was smooth and quick but this time, for the first time, she wasn't going to stop on the 21st floor, today she was going all the way to the top.

When the doors to the elevator opened, Margie O'Donnel was waiting for her.

"Good morning Miranda, here are your messages."

Miranda with out saying a word took the list and walked purposefully to her new office, which had been redecorated over the weekend. It closely resembled her old office downstairs, white carpet and glass desk and her favourite desk chair had been moved upstairs all the other furnishings were new and the views from the floor to ceiling windows were spectacular.

As she stepped inside she paused and looked around, took of her coat and handed it to Margie who was standing behind her.

"Margaret get me a copy of every current magazine Elias and Clarke publishes and a coffee, that's all"

With that Miranda sat in her chair and began the adventure into the next phase of her career.

Three doors away Stuart Bannecroft sat behind his big oak desk in his dark panneled office feeling every bit of the powerful man he was. There was just one thing missing from his package of success, a wife that was worthy of him. He'd had the sweet little wife at home and three children with assorted pets but had left all that behind when he turned fifty. Choosing to enjoy the younger women and the power plays of his colleagues but now at sixty and as Chairman of Elias and Clarke he required a strong women who would complete his picture. A woman who could be the other half in his imagined power couple and that woman was sitting just a few offices away. _I will have to play this very carefully_ he thought to himself _slowly, slowly catchy monkey and catchy monkey I will._

Downstairs on the 21st floor Nigel Kipling entered his new office, it was exactly as Miranda had left it except for all the personal items, books, sculptures and her chair and desk which had gone. He turned to Harriet "Did we forget something?"

"Would you like a coffee Nigel?"

"As a matter of fact I would, but I would like a desk and chair more at this moment - did Miranda take your competency with her when she left on Friday or did you think I would be able to levitate?"

"Sorry Nigel, your new desk is on its way, the decorators will be in this weekend they had to get Miranda's new office done first." Harriett looked at Nigel with apprehension not sure how he would react.

After blowing out a long slow breath Nigel replied "Of course she did, well then I shall just have to improvise, get me a coffee and where are my messages?" Passing Harriet the book "and take this to the art department, hurry hurry chop chop, time is passing and I am not getting any younger, we have work to do!"

Deciding to work from the sofa that had been left behind Nigel sat as he perused his messages. Within minutes Harriet had returned just as she sat at her desk Nigel popped his head round the door, " where's Lillian?"

"She is out collecting the new Dior scents, the Blanicks and the rest of the dresses from the Kenzo collection, she will also pick up a coffee for you on the way." Harriet rushed through.

"Harriet, I am not Miranda, I am happy with coffee from the machine in the kitchen, however I will need you to meet me at the elevator with my messages in the morning and to take the book as that saves a tremendous amount of time, also try not to be so scared of me, we need to work together and find our way, that being said, Move up the run through to 11am and have Francesca from Editorials come see me at 2." With that Nigel turned and left his office.

Along the corridor in the art department Emily's phone beeped as did those around her, _Nigel has moved the run through to 11am._ Everyone in the art department looked at each other and then scrambled into action, the five hours they had were now down to two, it looked like life under Nigel Kipling as Editor in Chief might not be as easy as they had suspected.

One block away sat at a desk crammed between the door to the kitchen and the door to the men's restroom with no direct sunlight sat Andy Sachs. She had been with the Mirror for one year now and had as junior editor been doing well. Starting with obituaries after six months of that she moved on to local interest peices, the soft cuddly community pieces usually about children raising money for their school or a lost dog being reunited with its owner. Andy couldn't quite believe that in this city that never sleeps she was still doing these small pieces. Then again it gave her time to investigate other stories, that she would present to her boss Paul, who would if he thought them worthy give them to one of the more senior reporters. This annoyed Andy beyond all measure but she hoped that one day soon he would let her write one of these articles. _Hope, I live on it,_ the words echoed through her mind.

Pulling out a cutting from last weeks paper Andy read again how Miranda's hope had finally come up trumps as she was promoted on to the Board of Directors at Elias and Clarke. Andy brushed the picture of Miranda at the press conference absentmindedly as she remembered the white haired woman who had captured her heart. Sighing Andy carefully returned the cutting to a folder in her desk draw.

 _Damn it Miranda, why can't I let go of you? I still want you after a year, damn it, damn it, damn it._ Andy grabbed her bag and stalked from the office. She had to go to Soho where a new community garden was opening, as she neared the door of the building John the photographer caught up with Andy. "Hey good looking whatcha doing?"

Andy stopped and turned to Paul with her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed "really is that the best you can do?" Paul paled and shrugged "sorry Andy" he said. Andy turned on her heel and marched out the door with Paul fumbling along behind her. _I may only be a junior editor but I am damn well not going to be spoken to like that._ Andy raged in her head.

Two states over in Trenton, Philadelphia, Christian Thompson was sitting at his kitchen table in his small rented house, looking dishevelled and unshaven, plotting his revenge on the two people who ruined his life. Miranda Priestly and her Miranda Girl Andy Sachs. He was madly writing plan after plan of what he would do to them and how he would do it whilst regaining his name on he New York literary scene. Victory would be his.

Across the Atlantic in Paris, Jaqueline Follet was walking down the Boulevard de Melimontant on her way to the Pere Lechais cemetary, it is where she liked to go and walk amongst the dead and look to see where some of the greatest minds and creative people were laid to rest. One day when her life was done this is where she would like to be buried. She had her epitaph all figured out " _Jaqueline Follet - Icon of Fashion" simple but to the point she thought._

All she had to do was get rid of that meddling Priestly woman, how dare she push her into that James Holt job. Of course she could not turn it down, the money was amazing but it did pigeon hole her away from the publishing world. But to not accept the job would be seen as petty by the people she wanted to engratiate herself with and now she had more contacts in the larger business world than ever before. _Miranda you managed to shoot yourself in the foot, I am stronger now than ever and now you have moved on to the Board of Elias and Clarke you have left an opportunity for me to take Runway. Even from your perch you will be powerless, I will swipe it from under your nose._ A wicked smile appeared on Jaqueline' face as she turned the corner on to Rue de Repos and sauntered through the entrance of the cemetery.


End file.
